Arches National Park

Permit Information

Special Use Permit required. $185 non refundable application fee paid via Pay.gov. Apply up to 1 year in advance and contact the Special Park Uses Coordinator to check availability first. Ceremonies are strictly limited to 1 hour. Per location group size limits: Park Avenue 15, La Sal Mountains Viewpoint 50, Double Arch 25, The Windows 25, Panorama Point 50, Devils Garden Campground Amphitheater 80. Delicate Arch is not on the approved ceremony list. Groups larger than 25 must submit a parking …

Seasonal Planning

Spring (March through May) and fall (September through November) are the ideal windows, temperatures are comfortable and the light is warm. Summer is extreme: temperatures regularly exceed 100°F and arriving before 8 am is essential to beat the heat and crowds. Winter is cold but beautiful, with occasional snow on the red rock and very few visitors. The Delicate Arch hike is exposed and has no shade, carry more water than you think you need, regardless of season.

Photography Notes

Delicate Arch is a sunset location. Hike the 3 mile roundtrip and arrive at the bowl an hour before sunset. The arch glows most in the final 20 minutes. The Windows Section works best in early morning. Landscape Arch is a flat walk and works anytime.

Planning Your Day at Arches National Park

One-Spot Day

Arches has six designated ceremony sites spread across roughly 20 miles of park road: Park Avenue near the entrance (15 guests), La Sal Mountains Viewpoint (50), The Windows and Double Arch in the Windows Section (25 each), Panorama Point (50), and Devils Garden Campground Amphitheater at the far end (80). Delicate Arch, the most famous arch in the world, is not on the approved list but works for portraits before or after a ceremony at one of the approved sites. The permit is 1 hour strict, so pick one ceremony spot and plan portraits separately. No timed entry required in 2026, which means flexible arrival times for the first time in years.

Ceremony + Portraits Split

The park road runs about 20 miles from the entrance to Devils Garden at the far end. Park Avenue to the Windows Section is about 8 miles (15 minutes driving). The Windows to Delicate Arch trailhead is another 10 minutes plus the 3 mile roundtrip hike with 629 feet of gain on exposed slickrock (budget 2 to 3 hours). A realistic day: ceremony at Double Arch or The Windows in morning light, then drive 20 minutes to the Delicate Arch trailhead for sunset portraits. Park Avenue works as a first stop if you are coming from Moab. The Windows Section stays busy mid morning through mid afternoon, so early morning or within 2 hours of sunset gives you breathing room.

A Note on Light

March through May and September through November are the windows. Summer is extreme, over 100 degrees is normal and the Delicate Arch trail has no shade. Delicate Arch is a sunset location, it faces west and glows red orange in the final 20 minutes before sunset. The Windows Section works best in early morning when light streams through from the east. Double Arch's interior catches warm reflected light from the canyon walls mid morning. Park Avenue's eastern wall lights up at sunrise with the western wall in shadow, reversing at sunset. Winter is cold and quiet with occasional snow on red rock, stunning but many guests will not want to travel.

Ceremony Spots at Arches National Park

• Delicate Arch — Sunset ceremony beneath the most famous natural arch in the world
• Park Avenue Viewpoint & Trail — Canyon walled ceremony with 300 foot sandstone fins on both sides
• Double Arch — Accessible ceremony beneath two massive joined arches with open desert views